Aerodrome.



M P. A. OTTO.

AERODROME.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1910.

1,001,160. Patented Aug.22, 1911.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 Witnesses Q Q Inventor Attorneys P. A. OTTO.

ABRODROME.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1910.

1,001,160, Patented Aug.22, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses Inventor W I Attorney;

UNITED STATES PATENT, QFFTGE.

PAUL A. one, or zrrrrm, 01110.

Annonnomn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 5, 1910. Serial No. 553,478.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL A. O'rro, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tiflin, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Aerodrome, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to aerodromes or flying machines of the heavierthan air type.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a combined monoplaneand a helicopter, the elevating wheel constituting means for maintainingthe machine at a desired elevation above a fixed point and the aeroplanecooperating with said wheel for sflusiiiining the machine during itsforward inother object of the invention is to provide a motor foractuating the elevating wheel, the gases exhausted from said motor beingemployed for the purpose of expanding cold air within a mixing chamber,the said air, during the expansion thereof, operating to drive :1. wheeloperatively connected to the elevating wheel, and thus greatlyincreasing the eficiency of the motor.

A further object is to provide means whereby cold air may be forced intothe mixer,

. this forcing action resulting in the forward propulsion of themachine.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying thepresent improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is anenlarged central ver tical section through the mixer and adjacent parts.the cold air conducting flue having its metal ortion removed. Fig. 4 isa plan view of the wheel within the mixing chamber. Fig. 5 is a sectionon line AB Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on line C D Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is afront elevation of a portion of the aeroplane, the blades thereof beingshown open. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 and showing the bladesclosed.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a framesupported by axles 2 which are in turn preferably carried by wheels 3.

Standards 4 are'mounted upon the front portion of the frame 1 and theupper ends of these standards are connected to an elongated rectangularframe 5 extending equal distances beyond the'two sides of the frame 1and constituting supports for a series of centrally pivoted blades 6.These blades extend from front to rear of the frame 5 and are preferablyogee, curved as shown particularly in Figs. 7 and 8, the blades, whenclosed, being adapted to lap. Links 7 are pivotally connected to andextend downwardly from the blades and are pivotally connected to anactuating rod 8 which may be operated in any suitable manner, as bymeans of a lever 9' extending downward toward the frame 1 and withinconvenient reach of the aviator. understood that while in flight, theblades 6 are to be closed as shown in Fig. 8, but, dur; ing the upwardmovement of the machine while propelled by the elevating wheel here-Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

It is of course to be inafter described, itis desirable that the,

and a lower casing 12. Said lower casinghas a heating compartmenttherein within which are located a desired number of hydro-carbonburners 13 which may be supplied with fuel from any suitable sourcethrough pipes 14. An engine 15 is located below the casing 12 and theexhaust therefrom is adapted to be conducted into the casing 12 by apipe 16. An annular series of outlet flues 17 extend from the top of thecasing 12 and opens into the bottom of the casing 11, the top of saidcasing being formed with a central conical depression 18 constituting adeflector for directing the exhausted gases toward the'flues 17 afterleaving the pipe 16.

The casing 11 is open at the top and has a shaft 19 j ournaled in thebottom thereof and provided at its upper end with an elevating wheel 20which may be of any desired construction. An inverted conical deflector21 is secured to and rotates with the shaft 19 between the upper end ofthe casing 11 and the wheel 20. Curved blades 22 extend radially fromthat portion of the shaft 19 located within the casing 11 and the outeredges of these blades are disposed close to the wall of the casing 11.An air conducting flue 23 is arranged longitudinally above the center ofthe frame 1 and extends through the center portion of the frame 5, thefront end of frame 1, A gear 29 is secured to the shaft 26 at a pointbetween the casings 11 and 12 and meshes with a gear 30 which is securedto the shaft 19 heretofore referred to. A sprocket 31 may be securedtothe shaft 26 and a chain 32 serves to transmlt motion thereto from awheel 33 which is driven by the engine 34. 'A combined vertical andhorizontal rudder -35 is preferably connected to the rear end of theframe 1 and this rudder may be operated by any suitable mechanism, notshown. It is of course to be understood, also, that a suitablearrangement of clutches etc., may be provided for the purpose ofseparately actuating the elevating wheel 20 and the propeller 28. It hasnot been deemed necessary to illustrate any such mechanism as the samecan be of any well known type.

In operation the blades 6 are first shifted to their open positionsandwhen'the motor 34 is set in motion power will be transmittedtherefrom through chain 32 to shaft 26 and thence through gears 29 and30 to the shaft 19. The'wheel 20 will thus be rotated and will operateto elevate the machine above a fixed point. The rotation of the shaft 26will'produce a corresponding movement of the fan 27 and this fan willdirect air into the funnel shaped inlet 24 and thence longitudinallythrough the fine 23 and into the casing 11. The hot gases exhausted fromthe motors 84 will pass into the casing 12 andbe superheated by theburners 13. These superheated gases will pass through the fiues 17 andinto the casing 11 where they will mix with the cold air forced intosaid casing from the flue 23. This cold air will therefore be expandedand drive the blades 22 annularly within the casing thus supplementingthe direct drive from the engine throu h the chain 22 and greatlyincreasing the efficiency of the motor. The spent ases pass upwardlyfrom the open top 0 the casing 11 and against the conical deflector 21which directs them against the blades of the wheel 20. It will of coursebe understood that the fan 27 cooperates with the propeller 28 fordriving the machine forward and when a desired elevation has beenreached'the blades 6 may be closed and will wheel, a propelling wheelmovable therewith, a motor for actuating the elevating wheel, a mixingchamber housing the propelling wheel, means for directing cold air intosaid chamber,.said means being operated by the motor, and means fordirecting exhaust gases from the motor and into said chamber.

3. An aerodrome including an elevating wheel, a propelling wheel movabletherewith, a mlxing chamber housin said propelling wheel, a motor foractuating the elevating wheel, means for directing exhaust gases fromthe motor and into the mixing chamber, means for superheating the, gasesprior to their admission to the mixing chamber, and means operated bythe motor for in the construction and arrangement of the directing coldair into the mixing chamber.

4. An aerodrome including an elevating wheel, a propelling wheel movablethere? with, a mixing chamber constituting a housing for the propellingwheel, a motor for actuating the elevating wheel, means operated by themotor for directing cold air into the mixing chamber, and means forheating the air admitted to said chamber.

5. An aerodrome including an elevating wheel, a mixing chambertherebelow, a propelling wheel within the mixing chamber and movablewith the elevating wheel, a longitudinally extending air flue openinginto the mixing chamber, means in front of the flue for directing airlongitudinally therein and into the mixing chamber, a

motor for actuating the elevating wheel, and means for directing exhaustgases from the motor and into the mixing chamber to ex pand the airtherein.

6. An aerodrome including an elevating wheel, a propelling wheel movabletherewith, a mixin chamber in which said propellm Wheel 1s mounted,means for directing c0 d gases 1nto said chamber, and means for heatingsaid gases while in the mixing chamber, to expand them, and actuate thepropelling Wheel.

7. An aerodrome includin an elevating wheel,'a mixing chamber, ront andrear propellers mounted for simultaneous rotation, means for directingair from the front propeller and into the mixing chamber, a

motor for driving the propellers, means for directing exhaust gases fromthe motor and into the mixing chamber, and a propelling wheel withinsaid chamber and adapted to be actuated by the mixed gases therein.

8. In an aerodrome, a propeller, an elevating wheel, motor actuatedmeans for driving said wheel and propeller, means for directingdisplaced air from the propeller to the wheel driving means, means forexpanding said air, and means for transmitting the force of the expandedair to said wheel driving means.

9. An aerodrome including a pluralityof blades mounted for tiltingmovement, means for simultaneously tilting the blades to vary thedistance therebetween, a longitudinal flue intersecting the sustainingplane formed by the blades, said flue having a flared inlet,

motor propelled means for forcing air into said inlet and flue, a mixingchamber for receiving the air from the flue, means for directing hotgases from the motor and into said chamber, an elevating wheel, andmeans within the chamber and actuated by mixed gases for rotating thewheel.

10. An aerodrome including an elevating wheel, a mixing chamber, a fluefor directing air into said chamber, a propeller for forcing air intothe flue and chamber, 'a

motor for actuating said propeller, means for directing hot exhaustgases from the motor and into themixing chamber to expand the airadmitted from the flue, and

I means within said chamber and operated by the mixing gases foractuating the elevating wheel.

11. Anaerodrome including an elevating wheel, a mixing chamber, apropelling wheel mounted for rotation within the mixing chamber andrevoluble with the elevating wheel, and separate means for directing hotand cold gases into the mixing chamber to actuate the propelling wheel.

12. An aerodrome lncluding an elevating wheel, a propelling wheel, amixing chamber, said propelling wheel being mounted for rotation withinthe mixing chamber, a

deflecting element above the mixing chamber, said chamber being open atthe top, a

-motor, means for superheating the gases exhausted from the motor, meansfor directing the superheated gases into the mixing chamber, and meansfor directing cold air into said chamber.

13. An aerodrome including an elevating wheel, a mixing chamber, apropelling wheel mounted within the mixing chamber and operativelyconnected with the elevating wheel, a motor, means for super-heating thegases exhausted from the motor, means for directing the superheatedgases into the mixing chamber, and means operated by the motor fordirecting cold air into said mixing chamber.

